Don’t Skip: Nagasaki, Japan
Intro to Nagasaki Fishing village to busy port Modern visitors to Nagasaki may not realize there’s a lot more to the city’s history than its sad title as one of the places an atomic bomb was dropped in 1945. Nagasaki was once a sleepy fishing village. When the Portuguese arrived in the 16th century, they […]
Don’t Skip: Yogyakarta, Indonesia
[mappress mapid=”13″] Intro to Yogyakarta, Indoniesia Jogjakarta (Yogyakarta, or, locally, Jogja) was our last stop in Indonesia after a month of exploring in Bali, diving in the Gilis and Flores, relaxing in Lombok and communing with dragons in Komodo National Park. We wanted to see some of the famous temples not far from here, and […]
A Hindu Temple in Atlanta: Shri Swaminarayan Mandir
A Hindu temple in Lilburn? We’d never heard of one until this weekend, but sure enough, the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is right there on Rockbridge Road at Lawrenceville Highway in Lilburn, open since 2007. A mandir is a Hindu place of worship, which also serves as a center for community social, educational, cultural and religious activities. […]
Weekly Photo Challenge: Change
When thinking of the word “change,” (the cue for this week’s Weekly Photo Challenge) the thought of something old next to something new came to mind. Japan is a country of ancient culture and tradition right alongside the cutting edge of modern society and technology. This image was captured at Higashi Honganji Temple (dating back […]
Quite An Honor
We are SO excited that a photo we took on our most recent visit to Japan was chosen by the folks at Frommers to serve as back cover art for their newest Japan guide book. We originally submit the photo for a contest they were running. It caught the eye of one of the editors […]
Not Yet Beaten: The Path to Bundi
Believe it or not, pounding the tourist trail can be hard work, especially somewhere as intense as India. When it all gets too overwhelming, it’s time to take a few deep breaths (another thing India often seems to make challenging!) and reassess. What are we traveling for? What do we hope to accomplish? For us […]
If You Buy, You Buy from Me, Okay?
Cambodia is a country of both stunning beauty and deep sadness. The country’s violent, recent history has left ugly scars, but the resilience of Cambodia’s people is demonstrated every day as they work to put things back on track. There are many international NGOs and aid organizations, as well as locally-owned and operated projects. It’s […]
Malaysia, Truly Asia
“Malaysia, Truly Asia” The television commercials had been singing their message to us for months, “Malaysia, Truly Asia.” It’s a great ad campaign, with captivating images of white sand beaches, rivers flowing through verdant jungles, orangutan and proboscis monkeys, and glimmering, modern Kuala Lumpur. We longed to get to Borneo, to find the perfect spot […]
Uncovering Ubud
Return to Bali On our return to Bali, we wanted to see something beyond beautiful beaches. Ubud is the center of Balinese culture, ancient and modern, and travelers inevitably make it a stop on any Bali itinerary. There are temples around every corner, interspersed with art galleries and museums, shops featuring carved and sculpted handicrafts, […]
Luang Namtha: Gone Green
With its proximity to the Nam Ha National Protected Area, and abundant activities for trekking, kayaking, cycling and rafting, Luang Namtha is a prime ecotourism destination in northern Laos. Laos still doesn’t receive nearly as many tourists as neighboring Thailand. This, combined with an extremely laid-back culture, makes a visit seem very peaceful. Everything moves […]